Is It Permissible to Read ‘Majma’ al-Zawa’id’ for Hadiths and Supplications?

Is It Permissible to Reference and Benefit from ‘Majma’ al-Zawa’id’ in Islamic Studies?

Question: Is it permissible to read the book “Majma’ al-Zawa’id” and benefit from the hadiths and supplications in it, and to reference it?

Answer: Abu al-Hasan Nur al-Din Ali ibn Abi Bakr ibn Sulayman al-Haythami (may Allah have mercy on him) (735 AH – 807 AH) was a renowned scholar of hadith. Among his famous teachers was Hafiz al-Iraqi (may Allah have mercy on him), and among his notable students was Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him). He holds a significant position in the field of hadith. “Majma’ al-Zawa’id wa Manba’ al-Fawa’id” is one of his well-known compilations.

This is a comprehensive collection of hadiths, where Al-Haythami (may Allah have mercy on him) compiled hadiths from sources other than the six major books (Bukhari, Muslim, Nasa’i, Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah), including Musnad Ahmad, Musnad Abi Ya’la, Musnad al-Bazzar, and the three Mu’jams of Tabarani (Kabir, Awsat, and Saghir).

One notable feature of this collection is that it is organized according to fiqh (jurisprudence) chapters, and another significant feature is that Al-Haythami (may Allah have mercy on him) has also provided rulings on the hadiths.

After the six major books, reading “Majma’ al-Zawa’id” is sufficient for understanding hadiths. However, it is important to note that “Majma’ al-Zawa’id” is not one of the primary sources, so when referencing, the original source should be mentioned. It should be studied for scholarly benefit, and the authentic hadiths and supplications within it should be utilized. Additionally, “Majma’ al-Zawa’id” contains both authentic and weak narrations, and Al-Haythami’s rulings on the hadiths are his ijtihad (independent reasoning), which can sometimes be correct and sometimes mistaken.

 Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi

Jeddah Dawah Center, Al-Salamah District, Saudi Arabia